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You are the faithful spouse, the one who believes in Marriage despite its ups and downs. You are the one who stuck by your family through thick and thin and would have gone to hell and back for your spouse. You are the one who understands what family means and the sacrifices it entails. Sure, you sometimes dream of running off and trying something new, visiting exotic lands, and just getting away from the monotony and the work it takes to make a successful, joyous family, but you also know your responsibilities and are mature enough to live up to them. You are the good son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. You watch your other half run off to a life of selfish indulgence. He engages in sex outside of marriage, squanders money your family could use.  Join me on SingleMomSmiling.com for the rest of the piece... Doing the Impossible - Embracing The Return of the Prodigal Son God Bless...

Feel like praying? We have an app for that! At long last, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network has a totally unique app that connects people around the world to the Pope's prayer intentions--and to one another. Read all about it at Praying with Grace !

As the Morning Rising: Loughareema - The Vanishing Lake : Loughareema – The Vanishing Lake Nobody heard the lake filling up The watchman did not come And yet it happened The sky'...

Have you ever had to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time? Or, have you ever been homebound while convalescing to better health? I have, and I can attest to the fact that it gets very lonely and scary, while lying in a hospital bed. Because of my clubbed feet, I spent almost half of my childhood either in the hospital, or recuperating at home. The nights in the hospital were the worst. Especially for a child, it gets scary being in a strange place at night. I just wanted to be at home, surrounded by my family, in my own bed. Therefore, anyone who would come to visit me, especially at night, made my day! Visits help... Read more...

It's easy to point fingers in abandonment and divorce, harder to see how the victim of divorce factors into things, and yet, we need to do so if we are going to move on. It is especially important if we are going to find healing and possibly open ourselves to another relationship. Using the characters in Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son gives us one way to do so. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, two sons take very different paths.  It's easy to identify the runaway spouse as the runaway son in the parable, and I'll get to that later this week, but it's also important to see how we could be each character in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This week join me in looking at the three main characters in this parable to see how they reflect the abandoned and divorced. . The Abandoned & Divorced as The Prodigal Son Would you ever tell someone you wished he was dead? Would you ever approach a parent and demand gifts he or she had in store for your

Received wisdom had taught me that virtue was its own reward, until my local supermarket taught me otherwise. A simple system of points per purchase enabled them to reward the virtue of loyalty with a two-for-the-price-of-one holiday break in Dorset at a hotel with a sauna, a Turkish bath, and an indoor pool. The short break was primarily designed to placate my body that had grumbled its way through the vigours of a three month diet imposed by my doctor. However its better half was ' surprised by Joy ' when, by accident rather than design, I wandered into Sherborne Abbey immediately after the full English breakfast promised by the brochure.   Read on.........

(from The Cloistered Heart)

Painting the Sacred For Modern Sensibilities  Introducing A Young, Catholic, Ukrainian Artist Ivanka Demchuk continue

As the Morning Rising: Bangor Blue : When rain falls on Bangor blue slates dirt and dust get washed away. Each slate is as new and when the sun comes out the beautiful blueness ...

The water is sliding onto the shore leaving a trail of go,den foam in its wake. In its musical motion the water ebbs and flows by the sea. I walk into the water. I feel the cool liquid clean my feet before I climb into the boat. The boat is made from rough wood. I almost slip and fall back in the water, but my guardian angel, a being of light forever with me, serves me and catches me. I am lifted up and my feet are securely placed on the deck. We begin to move. The boat glides through the water to the golden sunset in the west. The sun is bright, almost blinding, but I can see Him in the distance waiting for me. Read More At Prayerfully Yours

Analyzing what we've been learning about other planetary systems, some scientists say that maybe Earth is unusual, after all: maybe. Other scientists found another maybe-habitable planet less than 14 light-years away. Maybe planets like Earth are common: again, maybe.... ...I like living in a world where last year's list of known planetary systems is obsolete. Some folks don't. I'll talk about Copernicus and Sacred Scripture — right after my usual harangue about using our brains.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Our Lady said to St. Bernadette, “I cannot promise you happiness in this life, only in the next.” No one, in this world, is exempt from sufferings. Even the Son of God suffered greatly so that we might be saved. The Father gave us the gift of salvation because His Son, His only Son, suffered for us. God drew the world to Him through the sufferings of Jesus on the cross.  Read more at Prayerfully Yours

Week 2 of  Navigating Your Finances God's  Way  ....  My first discovery this week.  We don't own as much of value as I thought but what we do own I am rather possessive of (verses recognizing that all is a gift and essentially on loan from God). This week called for a completing a list of assets.  I have realized that much of our debt came during the PRE ~ DVR/On Demand and electronic music days.  WE have spent thousands of dollars in music CDs, videos and books - that cluttered our home and were watched, read or listened to once at best.  I used to spend so much money on Amazon (mostly for those 3 types of items) that I would (legit) get a Christmas present from Amazon every year! I also realized I spent a great deal of money on toys, clothes and shoes - the majority of which was barely played with or worn.  SEE A pattern here ... I KNOW I do!! This week's lesson focused on recognizing GOD'S ownership over ours.  Having attended a funeral this week, that lesson was

The bread was toasted and buttered. The fig spread slid evenly over the warm toast. The bread was poised in my hand to be guided into my mouth. I forgot. I needed to pray. “Bless us, Oh Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.” Read More at Prayerfully Yours

Worthwhile reading for boys age ten and up is hard to find. In the past, I made a list of books for boys . We’ve been happy to discover some great new books in the last two years, some of which are now among our favorites. These books teach your boys virtue and manliness, while being both timeless and exciting. Holes by Louis Sachar Holes is one of the most original books I have ever read. Part folk tale, part western, part fantasy, it’s totally hilarious and intriguing. Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake as a punishment for a crime he never committed. The lake has long-since dried up. Teenage boys spend their days digging five-foot holes in the hot sun. Stanley realizes the warden is looking for something and tries to discover what it is. Keep reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Can you believe it! We are already three weeks into Lent – half way through the Lenten season. I thought this would be a good time to check in with everyone to see how we are all doing with our Lenten sacrifices/growth in virtue.   Pope Francis gave us a challenge to give up “indifference” this Lent. As soon as I read this article I said, “Good idea, but this means that we will really need to strap on some virtue to accomplish this task.” My Lenten Journey As you may recall, my Lenten promise was to practice patience, and not lose my temper so quickly. I knew that much prayer would be needed. Knowing that the root cause for losing my patience happens to be pride,... Read more...

Life site News reported from the Vatican that the pope indeed was talking about artificial contraception.  ROME, February 19, 2016 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi has affirmed that the Holy Father was indeed speaking of “condoms and contraceptives” when on the flight back from Mexico, Pope Francis said couples could rightly “avoid pregnancy” in the wake of the Zika virus scare. Fr. Lombardi  told Vatican Radio today , “The contraceptive or condom, in particular cases of emergency or gravity, could be the object of discernment in a serious case of conscience. This is what the Pope said.” According to Lombardi, the pope spoke of “the possibility of taking recourse to contraception or condoms in cases of emergency or special situations. He is not saying that this possibility is accepted without discernment, indeed, he said clearly that it can be considered in cases of special urgency.”

"I am getting a divorce. My Marriage is crumbling. My children are being torn apart. I will be forced to "split custody" because that's "fair" to whom I don't know, but that's what our courts tell me. Neither my children nor I have any say. My husband is leaving. My heart is breaking. Everyone is gossiping. I am divorced." Divorced. Divorced. Divorced... The mantra ran in my head for a long time. I couldn't go out without people questioning me. I couldn't wake or sleep, blink or breath without inhaling the toxicity of what had been done to our family. Divorce was who I was. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester is forced to wear the A signifying her as an adulteress. My husband had been the one cheating. His new wife had began the affair while I was pregnant, but somehow society had accepted this while I was left struggling to find a job, provide food, housing, and love for five hurting and sometimes ill or injured child

There has been much talk in recent years within ministry about the notion of radical hospitality. Not merely seeking to embrace those we know, it is an openness albeit a willingness to authentically meet and walk with one another in our weakness, suffering, and challenges of life. This is the experience of encounter, and as such cannot be superficial or thought of as just an act of charity. Each of us must be vulnerable, and ready to extend ourselves beyond our pew, well past our comfort zone, beyond even the doors of the church to welcome the stranger with love. Yet, what does this look like in REAL life?  Read More